If you’re wondering how to find a good guitar teacher, it can be difficult to know what to look for, particularly if you’ve never had lessons before.
So what should you actually look for when choosing a guitar teacher?
Why Teaching Experience Matters
This is one of the first things I’d look at.
After teaching for a lot of years, you start to see the same problems coming up. You also learn that students don’t all respond to the same explanation. Everyone learns things in a different way. Some people are more visual than others, for example. Sometimes you need to rethink how you explain something because the first explanation simply doesn’t suit the way that particular person learns.
With experience, you also become better at recognising a student’s strengths and weaknesses. This helps you understand where a student might be struggling and what they need to work on.
You also become better at spotting the little problems that can hold a student back. A student struggling with a chord change, for instance, might simply have their fingers positioned slightly wrong. Someone who has taught for many years will often spot this fairly quickly and know what needs to be changed.
I’ve also found that bringing in songs at the right level for a student can be a good way to work on a particular skill. It might be a chord they’ve just learnt or one they still need to practice. The extra songs give them another opportunity to work on that skill without it feeling like they’re simply repeating an exercise.
A Good Player Isn’t Necessarily a Good Teacher
This is worth keeping in mind.
Being able to play guitar well doesn’t necessarily mean someone will be good at teaching it. Teaching requires more than musical ability. You need to be able to explain things clearly, recognise when a student is struggling and adjust the way you teach when necessary.
When you’re learning something new, you need someone who can explain things in a way that actually makes sense to you. Sometimes a student can be stuck on something for quite a while, and then a small change in the way you explain it is all it takes.
So when you’re choosing a teacher, I’d pay more attention to how well they teach than to how impressive they are as a player.
Find Someone Who’s a Good Fit
The relationship between a student and teacher matters too.
You don’t need to become best friends with your teacher, but you should feel comfortable asking questions and making mistakes. You’re going to make mistakes when you’re learning guitar. That’s just part of it.
Personality plays a part as well. Some students do well with a teacher who’s very structured, while others prefer someone who’s more relaxed.
Teaching children is different again. Young children generally have less dexterity than adults, so some aspects of learning the guitar can take more time. The musical material itself may sometimes be easier, but you need a teacher who knows how to work with children and understands how to keep them engaged and learning.
Does Musical Style Matter?
It’s natural to want a teacher who plays the kind of music you enjoy. If you’re into rock or blues, for example, it can be a bonus to have a teacher who enjoys those styles too.
But if you’re a beginner, I just wouldn’t make it the deciding factor. The fundamentals of playing guitar are important regardless of the style you eventually want to play.
Once you’ve learned the basics, you can put more emphasis on the styles and songs you enjoy. That’s something I think becomes more important as a student progresses.
What About Qualifications?
Qualifications can be useful, but I wouldn’t rely on them alone when choosing a teacher.
They can tell you something about the teacher’s training and background, but they don’t necessarily tell you how well that person will connect with a student or explain something when they’re struggling.
For me, experience and being able to communicate with a student are the two biggest things.
Don’t Judge a Teacher Only by Their Students’ Results
It’s tempting to look at how good a teacher’s current or former students have become and judge them on that.
It can certainly be useful to see what their students are doing, but I wouldn’t base your decision on one or two students. It’s better to look at a teacher’s students more generally and consider whether they’re helping people learn, improve and enjoy playing.
Students are all different. Some practice regularly, while others hardly touch the guitar between lessons. Some want to become excellent players, while others simply want to learn a handful of songs they enjoy.
A teacher can guide and support a student, but they can’t do the practicing for them.
So I wouldn’t necessarily judge a teacher by whether every student becomes a great guitarist. I’d be more interested in whether their students are learning and making progress.
Before You Commit to Lessons
Before signing up for regular lessons, it’s worth finding out a little about the teacher, including how much experience they have, whether they regularly teach beginners and how their lessons are generally structured.
If you’re choosing a teacher for a child, I’d also ask about their experience working with children around that age.
I’d also pay attention to how the teacher talks to you when you make an enquiry. Do they take the time to answer your questions? Do they seem interested in finding out what you or your child actually wants to learn?
That can give you a bit of an idea of what they’re likely to be like as a teacher.
Looking for Guitar Lessons?
If you’re looking for a guitar teacher in the Sutherland Shire, Do Re Mi Studios offers guitar lessons in Jannali for beginners and more experienced players.
You can find out more about our Guitar Lessons in the Sutherland Shire.